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Seub Nakhasathien (Thai: สืบ นาคะเสถียร, Thai pronunciation : /seub/ /nɑːkəsɑːtian/ ; December 31, 1948 - September 1, 1990) was a Thai conservationist, environmental activist, and scholar who is renowned for his effort to protect Cheow Lan Lake (or Rajjaprabha Dam Reservoir) and Thungyai–Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries. Seub committed suicide to signify the importance of the environment and to preserve it.

= Biography =

Family and early life
Seub’s birth name was “Seubyos”. He was born in Tha Nga, Prachinburi province, as one of the three children, to Mr. Salab Nakhasathien, a former governor of the province, and Ms. Boonyiem Nakhasathien. As a youth, Seub was always very attentive, he had great performance in school. His family was a family of farmers so he usually helped his mother on the farm especially when the school was closed. Although he worked in the scorching field all day, helping his family building the farm ridge to prevent any dispute with his neighbours. When he was free from assisting his mother, he could play with his friends with his favourite slingshot.

He once said, “ We all have made mistakes”, in the past days when he was a teenager, he once favoured bird hunting. Additionally, his house in Thonburi province was an old wooden house of his ancestors,where he lived with his younger brother, in the house were pictures of his father when he was a young governor with a tiger corpse and a pair of antelope horns. He also experts in making illegal guns and using them to shoot birds because of the wild spirit in youngsters despite the fact that he was a nature lover. Once he shot down a chick which made him felt terrible since he split it from its mother. Sometimes Seub and his brother were given wild animals to pet, such as lemurs and gibbons but many of them died due to an improper treating method.

Later on when he was in grade 9 in high school, Seub quit hunting animals as he became a more determined person. Another characteristic of Seub is that he was a perfectionist, no matter how minor the task was, he had to accomplish it flawlessly. He loved to craft toys for himself, such as bamboo kites, clay toy cars, and always protected them well. But  when his brother borrowed them and broke the toys, he never blamed his brother.

Education
In 1959, after he finished Prathom 4 (grade 4 of primary school), he moved to attend St. Louise School in Chachoengsao province. Not only he was a smart student but he was also the best trumpet player of the school with a drawing skill. Because of his passion in arts, Seub wanted to study architecture. He used to draw comic books for his friends to read. But he could not pursue his dream due to his university entrance examination result which led him to the Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, class of 35 from year 1967 to 1971. Sub said that at first, he did not want to study forestry which he chose as the fifth in his university choices but as he got accepted he told his mother that he should study there since he was not young anymore. His classmate and fourth year roommate from university said that Seub was a brilliant student, always sitting in the front of the class and taking notes together with his drawing. As his roommate, Seub was seen always reading books in the evening although his friends were partying and making loud noises. Seub was a serious man, even in playing soccer, it was hard to get the ball through him and score. Seub was also good in swimming, he was a water polo player of the university.

Seub did not attend the graduation ceremony because he claimed that he did not have enough knowledge to receive the certificate. After graduation (1973-1974), he briefly worked at the National Housing Authority of Thailand. Then, he continued his graduate study in Silvic Studies, Faculty of Forestry. In 1979, he was awarded the British Council Scholarship for a Master’s degree at London University to study Resource and Environmental Conservation. He was  also granted a PhD. scholarship to study in the United Kingdom in 1989 but he decided to accept the position of the Superintendent of Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary.

= Career = Seub produced various researches about wild animals especially in observing birds, gorals,  chamois, serows, and ecology at Huai Kha Khaeng and Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary. Additionally, he was also a special professor in Biology at Kasetsart University.

Cheow Larn Wildlife Evacuation Project
The Rajjaprabha Dam Reservoir or Cheow Larn Dam, Thailand's thirteenth, was completed in 1986 and the resulting flooding destroyed 165 square kilometres of the country's largest remaining area of lowland evergreen rain forest. For the first time ever in Thailand a rescue operation was carried out to try to save some of the wildlife, which included threatened and endangered species, stranded on islands as the waters rose. In 18 months 1364 animals of 116 species were captured, but 44 died soon after. The survivors were released into protected areas nearby.

In 1986, Seub was appointed as wildlife evacuation project leader for the Chiew Larn dam project, with a budget of only ฿800,000 to evacuate a 100,000-acre (400 km2) area.

He was able to save hundreds of animals but was aware that many more were unable to escape and died. After what he saw as the failure of the Chiew Larn project, he began protesting further logging and dam construction projects, such as Nam Choan dam, at Tungyai Naresuan, Kanchanaburi. He reminded Thailand that dam construction had more negative impacts than benefits. Only Seub protesting could not change the government’s decision, then many conservationists supported him and Nam Choan dam project was canceled.

In 1988, Seub and his fellow conservationists took an action against the Thai Plywood Co., Ltd, for a logging concession in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary. In his argument, he said “the one who wanted logging business was the Royal Forest Department, and the one who wanted to conserve the forest was also the Royal Forest Department ”.

Thungyai Naresuan-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary
Stretching over more than 600,000 ha along the Myanmar border, the sanctuaries, which are relatively intact, contain examples of almost all the forest types of continental South-East Asia. They are home to a very diverse array of animals, including 77% of the large mammals (especially elephants and tigers), 50% of the large birds and 33% of the land vertebrates to be found in this region. Located in the Uthai Thani province in Baan Rai and Lan Sak district and Tak province in Umphang district covering the area of main river-head which is Huai Kha Khaeng River.

Seub’s vision was to solve all the problems in Huai Kha Khaeng and his death had called attention widely from the authorities to the normal citizens. The rangers were sent in to patrol together with the wildlife protector group to ensure that the animal and deforestation would not happen. The idea of “forest buffer zone ” was implemented, villages in the forest buffer area were modified and launched as forest villages and buffer zone with the occupation-supporting programs in order to prevent the hunting and deforestation. Additionally, the guns and weapons held by villagers around Huai Kha

Khaeng were handed in to the officials as a sign of cooperation. Fellow conservationists cooperatively established Seub Nakhasathien Foundation, a fund raising program as a welfare for the workers and wages to purchase technological devices.

Finally, Seub’s intention was fulfilled. In the middle of December, 1991, approximately a year and a half after Seub’s death, in Tunisia, the UNESCO certified Thungyai Naresuan-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary” to be a World Heritage Site which was the first of its kind in Southeast Asia Region.

= Publications = The example of his researches :
 * Fea’s Muntjac, an endangered species, and a discovery in Suratthani province
 * Analysis of the Hydroelectric Power Plant at the Upper Kwae Yai
 * Nesting and egg laying of some bird species at Bang Phra Water Reservoir, Chonburi
 * The last peat swamp forest in Thailand ( Sirindhon Peat Swamp Forest, Narathiwat )
 * The importance of Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary and Nam Choan dam building
 * Founding of Storm’s Stork in Thailand
 * Cheowlarn wildlife rescuing

= Suicide =

In 1989, receiving massive pressure from many sides while he was working as head of the Huai Kha Khaeng Sanctuary including the worker’s wages problem, controversy with the authorities, death of his employees while working or capturing the outlaws and the hardship of conserving the nature by himself and minority of the staff, Seub was noticeably stressed. Seub began to realise that the only way to be able to fully conserve the sanctuary was to push it to become one of the UNESCO World Heritage. He researched and completed the report then submitted it to the organisation which was approved later on after his death.

31 August 1989, Seub was seen walking up to his office in the morning for work as usual. Later that day, he started to return the things he had borrowed from others and having his last meal with some of his companions, and one of the people there was the last person who talked to Seub before he died.

1 September 1989, approximately four o’clock in the morning, a gunshot was heard by a security guard. But at Huai Kha Khaeng, the sound was usual and common. Seub was not seen at the breakfast at ten o’clock so one of his colleagues went to his shelter and found his body on the bed with pieces of paper, one stated that “I have the intention to kill myself, no one was associated in this decision. ” which was signed by Seub himself.

= Recognitions =

Seub Nakhasathien Foundation
His loss was considered a shock wave in Thailand that could not be neglected by any natural conservationist without comemmorating his sacrifice. So, Seub Nakhasathien Foundation was established on September 18, 1990 ,or ten days after his cremation. The foundation has received fund money from The Queen Dowager Sirikit and Princess Soamsawal i together with some from the people with faith in Seub’s intention.

The aspect of protecting forests and wildlife belongs to everyone, the foundation’s committee is only an association who participate in continuing Seub’s intention to help accomplish the goal.

The principle is first, to be aware of protecting woodland and natural resources inhibiting wild creatures and biological diversity, second, preserving endangered species.

Memorial day
Every year, the day of his death, 1 September, is established as Seub Nakhasathien Day.

In popular culture

 * Nga Caravan composed a song “Seub Nakhasathien” (“สืบ นาคะเสถียร”) as a memorial for Seub.
 * Aed Carabao composed a song “Inherit the Spirit” (“สืบทอดเจตนา”)  as a memorial for Seub in 1990 album “No Problem” (“โนพลอมแพลม”)
 * Prapas Cholsaranon composed a song “Matchstick and a Sunflower” (“ไม้ขีดไฟกับดอกทานตะวัน”)  in which the lyrics is about Seub, sung by Viyada Gomarnkul Na Nakorn
 * Thai PBS created a documentary “The Lights Never Gone” (“แสงไฟไม่เคยดับ”) to commemorate Seub’s greatness, on aired August 2013.
 * Phakpoom Wongpoom created a short film “Raining in Huai Kha Khaeng” (“ฝนตกที่ห้วยขาแข้ง”), one of the films in the series “Royal Symphony; Songs in Our Heart ”(“คีตราชนิพนธ์ บทเพลงในดวงใจราษฎร์”), in 2015. Starring Nopchai Chainam as Seub Nakhasathien.

Eponymous Species
Oreoglanis nakasathiani (ปลาค้างคาวนาคะเสถียร) is one of the eight new kinds of Genus Oreoglanis found in Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary, Chiang Mai by Dr.Chavalit Vidhayanon, an expert in fresh-water fish, together with Dr.Eung Hog Jee and Passakorn Sanchandaeng. Named after the surname of Seub as a honour of him being a scholar and conservationist who dedicated himself for wildlife and forests in Thailand.

= References =